English

If you’re like me, you love learning with your kids – just not keeping up with the paperwork. But there is some paperwork that’s rewarding for both you and your child. It can even be fun! A reading journal is just that kind of paperwork. What to Include No matter what age your child is, he can keep a record of the books he’s

There’s a website sponsoring an art contest this fall, and it’s all about English idioms! An idiom is a commonly-used phrase with a certain meaning that can’t be determined if you considered only the words themselves. For example, the idiom “It’s raining cats and dogs” means that it’s a downpour, not that cats and dogs are actually falling from the sky. Another example is

There’s a new picture book out this fall – and I wrote and illustrated it! It’s published by Sylvan Dell Publishing, a company that combines math or science with a great story. In The Perfect Pet, a child uses animal classification to choose just the right pet. The story begins when Mom says “yes!” to a pet. To help him decide, the child starts

This year, I’m teaching a creative writing class at our co-op. The students are learning how to use just the right words to describe objects, pets, and people. So to practice, we played a “describing” game. This game worked well with a large group, but it could easily be played by just two or three. Supplies Brown Paper Lunch Bags Small recognizable objects that

Need an activity to do with a group of kids? Here’s a writing game that will have everyone laughing! It can be played in co-op classes or at home with children of different ages. They just need to be able to read and write. How to Play To play, all you’ll need is a piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Player 1

I love yard sales; when I go to a sale, I feel like I’m on a treasure hunt. A couple of weeks ago, I stopped by a friend’s yard sale where I found a game that I had never seen before. It’s called Rory’s Story Cubes, and it has been a great addition to our school days! The game consists of nine dice-sized cubes;

For the child working on reading skills, practicing with readers theater scripts is a great addition to your regular lessons. If the word “theater” makes you a little nervous, don’t be. It’s an easy and fun exercise for all! Readers theater involves taking a piece of literature, adapting it into a script, and then reading it aloud. Each part in the script is assigned

This year at our homeschool co-op, I’m teaching a class in creative writing using the WriteShop first year program. The curriculum is very well laid out; I have really enjoyed using the program with the co-op students and can’t wait to teach it to my own daughter next year. While I thought I had all WriteShop offered when I purchased the Instructor’s Manual, Student